Resources
Oceania’s natural resources are best defined in connection with its island groups. The continental islands of Australia, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea support rich natural-resource economies, while the other Pacific Islands rely on their natural resources for subsistence more than economic development. Forestry, the management of trees and other vegetation in forests, is an important economic activity in Australia and Oceania’s continental islands. Australia’s forest industries had a gross value of $1.7 billion in 2008. Its main forest products are sawn wood, wood-based panels, paper, and wood chips.
Australia’s northern coast is tropical; this area is used principally for dairy and beef production. The country’s southern region has a Mediterranean climate. Wheat and other cereals, oilseeds, and legumes are mainly produced in this region. Sheep ranching is common in grassland areas that flank the desert’s eastern and western edges. Australia is the world’s largest exporter of wool. Australia’s forest industry has benefitted from the development of tree plantations, which yield up to 14 times more wood per hectare than native forests. Plantations now supply more than two-thirds of harvested logs in Australia.
New Zealand has a much milder climate than Australia. This climate is suited to livestock grazing and ranching, including beef cattle, dairy cattle, domestic deer, and, most importantly, sheep. Sheep outnumber people by about 12 to 1 in New Zealand.
Almost all of Papua New Guinea has a tropical wet climate. Its principal commercial crops are sweet potatoes, sugar cane, copra (dried coconut meat), coffee, cocoa, and rubber. The lumber industry is also important to the economy of Papua New Guinea. The country has a unique forest-ownership program. Tribal clan groups own 95 percent of the total land area of the country. In order to carry out any forest-related operations, meetings must take place between government agencies and clan groups.
Holidays
In the Philippines, the holiday is called Todos los Santos (All Saints Day), Undas, or Araw ng mga Patay (Day of the Dead), and has more of a family-reunion atmosphere. The traditions were imported when the Philippines were governed out of Mexico City as part of the Viceroyalty of New Spain. Tombs are cleaned or repainted, candles are lit, and flowers are offered. Entire families camp in cemeteries and sometimes spend a night or two near their relatives' tombs. Card games, eating, drinking, singing and dancing are common activities in the cemetery. It is considered a very important holiday by many Filipinos (after Christmas and Holy Week), and additional days are normally given as special nonworking holidays (but only November 1 is a regular holiday). Mexican-style Day of the Dead celebrations occur in major cities in Australia, Fiji, and Indonesia. Prominent celebrations are held in Wellington, New Zealand, complete with altars celebrating the deceased with flowers and gifts.
Pollution
Pacific island countries, like the rest of the world, face serious problems with disposal of wastes and pollution. Organic and most metal wastes can be recycled, and this is practiced in a limited way in most rural areas. Increased urbanization and growing populations have accelerated problems with the collection and disposal of both solid and liquid wastes. Every year the importation of packaged consumer goods adds to the growing amount of non-biodegradable waste. Pollution from industrial waste and sewage and disposal of toxic chemicals are significant contributors to marine pollution and coastal degradation. Man-made chemicals, many of them very toxic, can be difficult to recycle and expensive to destroy. Most wastes, hazardous or not, are simply dumped together at the nearest available government owned land. In Fiji, Tonga, and Vanuatu, for example the public dumps are in mangrove forests and the Department of Health dusts them regularly with pesticides and rat poison. Perhaps more dangerous is the widespread use of toxic agricultural chemicals in areas where these can later pollute rivers and groundwater sources. Groundwater contamination is common in fresh water sources adjoining agricultural areas. Pollution from wastes has serious implications for the small island developing states. These problems fall into three categories: aesthetics, human health, environmental degradation.
Oceania’s natural resources are best defined in connection with its island groups. The continental islands of Australia, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea support rich natural-resource economies, while the other Pacific Islands rely on their natural resources for subsistence more than economic development. Forestry, the management of trees and other vegetation in forests, is an important economic activity in Australia and Oceania’s continental islands. Australia’s forest industries had a gross value of $1.7 billion in 2008. Its main forest products are sawn wood, wood-based panels, paper, and wood chips.
Australia’s northern coast is tropical; this area is used principally for dairy and beef production. The country’s southern region has a Mediterranean climate. Wheat and other cereals, oilseeds, and legumes are mainly produced in this region. Sheep ranching is common in grassland areas that flank the desert’s eastern and western edges. Australia is the world’s largest exporter of wool. Australia’s forest industry has benefitted from the development of tree plantations, which yield up to 14 times more wood per hectare than native forests. Plantations now supply more than two-thirds of harvested logs in Australia.
New Zealand has a much milder climate than Australia. This climate is suited to livestock grazing and ranching, including beef cattle, dairy cattle, domestic deer, and, most importantly, sheep. Sheep outnumber people by about 12 to 1 in New Zealand.
Almost all of Papua New Guinea has a tropical wet climate. Its principal commercial crops are sweet potatoes, sugar cane, copra (dried coconut meat), coffee, cocoa, and rubber. The lumber industry is also important to the economy of Papua New Guinea. The country has a unique forest-ownership program. Tribal clan groups own 95 percent of the total land area of the country. In order to carry out any forest-related operations, meetings must take place between government agencies and clan groups.
Holidays
In the Philippines, the holiday is called Todos los Santos (All Saints Day), Undas, or Araw ng mga Patay (Day of the Dead), and has more of a family-reunion atmosphere. The traditions were imported when the Philippines were governed out of Mexico City as part of the Viceroyalty of New Spain. Tombs are cleaned or repainted, candles are lit, and flowers are offered. Entire families camp in cemeteries and sometimes spend a night or two near their relatives' tombs. Card games, eating, drinking, singing and dancing are common activities in the cemetery. It is considered a very important holiday by many Filipinos (after Christmas and Holy Week), and additional days are normally given as special nonworking holidays (but only November 1 is a regular holiday). Mexican-style Day of the Dead celebrations occur in major cities in Australia, Fiji, and Indonesia. Prominent celebrations are held in Wellington, New Zealand, complete with altars celebrating the deceased with flowers and gifts.
Pollution
Pacific island countries, like the rest of the world, face serious problems with disposal of wastes and pollution. Organic and most metal wastes can be recycled, and this is practiced in a limited way in most rural areas. Increased urbanization and growing populations have accelerated problems with the collection and disposal of both solid and liquid wastes. Every year the importation of packaged consumer goods adds to the growing amount of non-biodegradable waste. Pollution from industrial waste and sewage and disposal of toxic chemicals are significant contributors to marine pollution and coastal degradation. Man-made chemicals, many of them very toxic, can be difficult to recycle and expensive to destroy. Most wastes, hazardous or not, are simply dumped together at the nearest available government owned land. In Fiji, Tonga, and Vanuatu, for example the public dumps are in mangrove forests and the Department of Health dusts them regularly with pesticides and rat poison. Perhaps more dangerous is the widespread use of toxic agricultural chemicals in areas where these can later pollute rivers and groundwater sources. Groundwater contamination is common in fresh water sources adjoining agricultural areas. Pollution from wastes has serious implications for the small island developing states. These problems fall into three categories: aesthetics, human health, environmental degradation.